Senior Loves Global Assignment at Kennametal

Lindsay Heider of Ligonier is a full-time marketing major at Saint Vincent College who just landed a full-time job with worldwide responsibilities at Kennametal Inc.

A senior at Saint Vincent who completed an internship in the corporate communications department last summer under the direction of manager Christina Sutter, Heider describes it as “a dream come true.”

During her junior year, she knew the value of doing an internship in her field and was determined to find one. “I applied and interviewed at several places but really didn’t find the connection I was looking for,” she recalled. “Then I received a memo from the Saint Vincent College Career Center advising me of a summer internship at Kennametal. I knew it was a great company to work for and that it was the right opportunity. I applied and was fortunate to be selected after my interview.”

While completing the internship, she had an opportunity to assist with the development of internal and external publications including Kennametal World magazine and Leader Highlights, support public relations activities, write news releases and assist with community outreach projects. “I did a wide variety of things and I learned so much,” she noted. “It really opened my eyes. The work can be nerve-wracking but at the same time very rewarding. It’s pretty cool to see a news release you wrote distributed on the wire services and be posted on the Internet for everyone in the world to read.”

“Internships are just one of the many programs we have in place at Kennametal to help build our talent pipeline for the future,” commented Sutter. “When internships transition into a permanent position, it is a win-win for both the student and the company. We’re excited to have Lindsay join the Kennametal team in Corporate Relations where her studies are being applied to help manage real business situations and employee communication needs.”

Now juggling the preparation and homework associated with 15 credit hours of classes at Saint Vincent every week and her responsibilities as corporate communications specialist at Kennametal, Heider’s days are long and busy. “I attend classes in the morning and work in the afternoon on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, Tuesday I work all day, Thursday I have an afternoon class,” she related. “Kennametal is very accommodating and flexible and I make sure all of the work gets done.”

Her major responsibility is the publication of Kennametal World magazine. “I love this project because it allows me to be creative. I also work on the Leader Highlights publication and play a role on the acquisitions team preparing communications. The thing I like about my work is that it is global and I am working with people all around the world and getting some new perspectives about business and culture.”

Heider credits Saint Vincent with preparing her well for her career. “I would never have had this opportunity without my Saint Vincent education,” she said. “I had started my education at another college but decided to transfer. As soon as I stepped on the Saint Vincent campus, I knew it was for me. Everyone was very welcoming. The dean knows my name as he does most of the school’s students. Saint Vincent does whatever it can to help you succeed and live up to your dreams. Everything I learned in the classroom or in clubs made it possible for me to get this job. Through Saint Vincent I have developed personally and professionally.”

She singled out Dr. Dawn Edmiston, associate professor of marketing, as her most influential teacher. “Both her marketing classes and her sponsorship of the Women in Business Club were very important in my development. She is such a successful business woman. I have tried to model myself after what I have seen in her. She is always so supportive and encouraging. When I got the job offer, she was one of the first people I called.”

Heider, 22, is a 2009 graduate of Ligonier Valley High School where she played and captained the varsity soccer and track team.

A dean’s list student at Saint Vincent and an active participant in the Honors Program, she has been recognized with membership in the Delta Mu Delta Business Honor Society, Who’s Who Among Students in American Colleges and Universities, and the National Society of Collegiate Scholars. In addition to serving as president of Women in Business, she was a volunteer note-taker who assisted students with learning disabilities and served as a volunteer with the Hero Campaign that implemented a designated driver campaign in the community.

Her previous work experience includes a marketing internship with the Saint Vincent College Small Business Development Center, serving on the due diligence team at Blue Tree Allied Angels in Pittsburgh and a summer job as an assistant warehouse manager in the family business, Sportsman’s Inc. in Johnstown.

Daughter of David and Nancy Heider, she is close with her family which includes an older brother, David, who attended the Naval Academy, and a younger brother, Jordan, who is a junior at Ligonier Valley. She is a member of St. Mary’s Antiochian Orthodox Church in Johnstown.